Exploring the historian’s stark warnings about artificial intelligence as a game-changer for jobs, religion, and global power dynamics
In a world buzzing with tech hype, it’s rare to hear someone cut through the noise with the sobering clarity of a historian. Yuval Noah Harari, the acclaimed author of Sapiens and Nexus, did just that in a recent conversation that felt less like a tech talk and more like a wake-up call for humanity. Speaking to an audience of influential leaders—think CEOs, bankers, and innovators—Harari didn’t mince words: AI isn’t just another gadget; it’s an “alien intelligence” that could upend our species’ dominance. But as he unpacked this idea, drawing parallels from medieval history to modern geopolitics, one question lingered in my mind: Are we ready to share the planet with something smarter than us?
Harari’s journey to this stage is as unlikely as it is fascinating. Trained as a medieval military historian focusing on the Middle East, he never imagined he’d become a go-to voice on AI’s existential threats. Yet here he was, in what seemed like a high-stakes forum, likening our current era to a return of the Middle Ages—complete with power struggles and unforeseen alliances. His latest book, Nexus, frames AI not as a tool but as a new species, one that’s learning from us right now, like a child absorbing the world’s flaws. And if we’re not careful, he warns, that child could grow into a monster.
AI: Not a Tool, But an Independent Agent
At the heart of Harari’s argument is a simple yet profound distinction: AI isn’t like the inventions that came before it. Think about the printing press or the atomic bomb—game-changers, sure, but ultimately tools that required human hands to operate. A printing press can’t decide what book to print next, and an atom bomb doesn’t design its successor. AI, on the other hand, is an agent. It makes decisions, invents ideas, and evolves on its own. “This is how we got from being an insignificant ape in a corner of Africa to ruling the planet,” Harari explained, tracing humanity’s rise through intelligence alone. Now, for the first time in tens of thousands of years, we’re creating real competition.
This isn’t hyperbole. Historically, human dominance stemmed from our ability to cooperate in large groups, fueled by shared myths and stories—religions, nations, corporations. But AI could surpass us in raw intelligence, potentially reshaping everything from warfare to economics. Geopolitically, this echoes the Cold War arms race, where nations rushed to develop nuclear tech without fully grasping the fallout. Today, countries like the U.S. and China are locked in a similar sprint for AI supremacy, raising fears of a divided world where AI exacerbates inequalities. What if, Harari posits, this alien intelligence learns our worst habits—deception, greed—and amplifies them?
Educating AI: Why Our Actions Matter More Than Code
One of the most chilling parts of the discussion was Harari’s take on “AI alignment”—the global effort to ensure these systems serve human interests. Billions are poured into coding ethics into AI, teaching it principles like honesty and benevolence. But Harari dismisses this as naive. By definition, true AI learns and adapts independently; if you can predict every move, it’s not AI—it’s a fancy coffee machine.
Worse still, AI is like a sponge, soaking up human behavior. “If you tell your kids not to lie but they see you doing it, they’ll copy you,” he said. The same goes for AI. In a world where powerful figures—politicians, CEOs—bend the truth, why expect AI to play fair? This hits home in today’s fractured geopolitics, where misinformation fuels conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East. Harari’s own background in military history adds weight here: Medieval crusades were driven by fabricated narratives, much like modern propaganda. If AI mirrors our deceitful ways, it could turbocharge fake news, deepfakes, and cyber warfare, eroding trust on a global scale.
Reflecting on this, I can’t help but wonder: Are we dooming ourselves by prioritizing profit over principle? Harari urges leaders to lead by example, but in boardrooms obsessed with quarterly gains, that’s a tall order.
Power Without Wisdom: Humanity’s Age-Old Flaw
Harari doesn’t stop at tech critiques; he zooms out to humanity’s broader failures. We’ve mastered accumulating power—splitting atoms, reaching the moon—but we’re no wiser or happier than our Stone Age ancestors. “We are the most intelligent species on the planet,” he noted, “but also the most delusional and self-destructive.” No other animal believes in afterlife rewards for violence, yet humans have waged wars over such illusions for millennia.
This power-wisdom gap is amplified by information overload. Contrary to popular belief, more data doesn’t equal more truth; it’s often noise that drowns out wisdom. Democracies thrive on quality information, but in an AI era flooded with content, discerning fact from fiction becomes harder. Harari’s point resonates amid rising populism and echo chambers, where algorithms already curate realities. Geopolitically, this could widen divides: Imagine AI-fueled disinformation campaigns swaying elections in fragile states like those in Africa or Latin America.
The audience poll Harari referenced was telling—most leaders said AI hasn’t significantly impacted their businesses yet. But he likened it to the early railways in 1830s Britain: Five years in, skeptics dismissed them as hype, yet they revolutionized society. For historians like Harari, revolutions unfold over decades, not quarters. In 36 months? AI will likely touch every sector, he predicts, urging businesses to prepare now.
AI’s Ripple Effects: From Finance to Faith
Diving deeper, Harari painted vivid pictures of AI’s transformations. Finance, he argued, is ripe for disruption—it’s all data, no messy physical world like self-driving cars (which, despite promises, still lag). Soon, AI could invent financial instruments too complex for humans, potentially crashing markets or widening wealth gaps. Bankers in the room might have squirmed; after all, in a post-2008 world, we’ve seen how unchecked innovation leads to chaos.
Even religion isn’t immune. Text-based faiths like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam rely on human interpreters for sacred writings. But AI could memorize every word from millennia of texts and debate theology flawlessly. Harari mentioned friends building “religious AIs” to augment or replace leaders. While some, like the interviewer who prefers her pastor over ChatGPT, resist, millions already turn to AI for counseling or advice. Teenagers confide in bots about school drama—what does that say about our loneliness?
This ties into Harari’s fear of a “useless class.” AI won’t just automate blue-collar jobs; white-collar roles in law, medicine, and creative fields are next. Quoting Google’s Sundar Pichai, who once suggested slowing AI if it disrupts too many jobs, Harari stresses choice: Technology isn’t deterministic. The 20th century used the same tools for communism and democracy—AI could build utopias or dystopias.
Audience Insights: Trust, Purpose, and Competing AIs
Questions from the floor brought human elements to the fore. One attendee, from a conference blending tech with emotion and culture, asked about preserving purpose in an AI-driven world. Harari’s response? Solve human trust issues first. In a fracturing globe—trade wars, eroded alliances—AI born from competition will be cutthroat, not kind. Prioritize cooperation, he advised, or risk untrustworthy systems.
Another questioned AI’s non-monolithic nature: Multiple AIs, competing like religions or economies, could create chaos. Harari agreed—we have zero experience with “AI societies.” Labs can’t simulate history; we’re all guinea pigs in this experiment.
His immigration analogy was masterful: AI as “digital immigrants” taking jobs, altering culture, seeking power—arriving at light speed, no visas needed. Far-right parties fixate on human migrants, he noted, but ignore this bigger wave threatening sovereignty. In Europe, amid Brexit fallout and rising nationalism, it’s a poignant warning.
A Call to Action: Wisdom Over Speed
As the talk wrapped, Harari left us with hope laced with urgency. We still hold the reins—deploy AI thoughtfully, foster trust, translate power into wisdom. But in an arms-race mentality, where nations and firms fear falling behind, caution often loses.
Personally, this conversation stirred unease. We’ve conquered the planet through smarts, but AI forces us to confront our delusions. Will we rise to the challenge, or let hubris seal our fate? Harari’s words aren’t just food for thought; they’re a blueprint for survival in an alien-intelligence era. The clock is ticking—let’s hope we listen.
